Our garages, unfortunately, tend to become unintended victims of our laziness. Despite being meant for parking our vehicles, they can quickly become cluttered with all sorts of stuff. This includes empty paint cans, old clothes, and broken bottles, to name a few. But, with the right garage cleaning tips, all this can change.
Now just imagine this scenario. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your garage became sparkling clean within a day? So clean, in fact, that you could park in there comfortably? Guess what; it’s not hyperbole. All you need to do is to invest a bit of effort during the weekend. Given here are some practical tips for cleaning your garage in a short time.
Begin by Emptying Your Garage
In order to clean up your garage, you need to know about the clutter inside it. Starting with a particular portion of the garage, drag everything out onto your driveway. A good place to start cleaning your garage is just outside the main door. Proceed to move inside and focus well on cleaning the floor properly.
You will now be able to sort everything out quickly. You will also be able to assess how much space is available for you to work with. After that, you can think of different kinds of storage regarding the items you are dealing with.
Categorize the Items You Have Cleaned
After you have moved out all the clutter, divide the objects into distinct piles. The basic criterion for that is to decide which items to keep and which to discard. Try to observe whether the item in question has a place in the garage.
Have you used it more than once within a year? Is it a tool you cannot readily get elsewhere? Is it in proper working condition? If not, you could consider doing away with it for good. You will clear more space in your garage and also clean it up this way.
Prudently Decide How to Handle the Garage Clutter
Clutter comprises all the items that you decide not to keep in your garage. Letting them stay in there any longer serves no purpose. The faster you choose how to get rid of them, the better you will clean up your garage.
First, try to decide which objects can be sold or donated. The latter includes things like clothing, sports equipment, and other similar items. You can do a lot for those who need these items this way. Store them in separate cardboard boxes or bags for their respective purpose.
After that, you can simply dispose of the junk that does not fit elsewhere. Depending on how much trash you need to dispose of, you may consider renting a dumpster.
You can consider ringing up your local municipality for help if the amount of waste is too large. In case you need to get rid of larger items like broken furniture and equipment, that becomes a necessity. Take the advice of a waste removal expert if you want.
Deep Clean Your Garage
The second round of garage cleaning tips involves scrubbing it down after having it emptied. This is a complete top to bottom cleaning of the place. Guess where to begin? You’re right – by wiping off those thick layers of dust from your shelves, tables, and cabinets. Once you have done that, proceed to wipe them clean properly using a mild detergent and clean, damp cloth.
After this, sweep the garage floor to clear away the remaining dust. Now proceed to mop up the floor and leave it to dry for a few hours.
Additional Tips for Cleaning Your Garage
Now that you are done with the basic dusting and mopping, you can proceed with the more significant parts of your garage cleaning tips. Use dish soap and a wire scrub brush to remove those tenacious motor oil stains. Take up a sponge mop and scrub your garage’s walls clean, up, and down.
After that, dry the walls using a flat head mop with a microfiber cloth. Use diluted vinegar or bleach to get rid of molds. You can then use a floor fan to make the floor dry faster.
Proceed to Organize Your Garage Properly
You have just sorted out your inventory and successfully cleaned up your garage. Pat yourself on the back for accomplishing that mammoth task! While we’re at it, you can try to ensure that the clutter doesn’t begin to pile up again. So try to organize your garage by identifying everything you need in there.
For that, you can try out a few things—store items you frequently require in shelving units for easy access. You can use pegboards to store hand tools like hacksaws and hammers conveniently.
On the other hand, you can store items you use less frequently in closets or cupboards. Larger tools like shovels and rakes can be propped up using wall hooks. Alternatively, you can put them in a big and steady bin.
A suitable method is to arrange shelves along your garage’s walls. Store your items in properly labeled, airtight plastic bins on these shelves. Often, clutter tends to collect when you do not put something back in the right place after use.
Thus, make sure to group your items categorically. That way, you can put them back in your home when finished. It will help you find them easily when needed.
Do Not Make Haste When Cleaning Your Garage
Cleaning your garage, no matter how fast, is an admittedly cumbersome task. However, making haste is not going to make it any easier. On the other hand, it might lead to you making inadvertent mistakes. You don’t want to end up discovering that you threw out a vital item mistakenly!
Thus, consider each of these garage cleaning tips carefully and go through the process gradually. Take your time to arrange and organize everything properly.
And finally, you will have a sparkling garage as convenient as you could’ve imagined. All thanks to a weekend of sincere effort!